BT Sport's list of big-name signings expanded again today as they added Manchester United striker Robin van Persie to their star-studded line-up.

The broadcaster, who will air 38 Premier League games next season, confirmed the news on Twitter that Van Persie will appear alongside Gareth Bale in ad campaigns for their coverage.

Van Persie leads the Premier League scoring charts this season with 24 goals to his name, one more than Liverpool striker Luis Suarez, and the Dutchman's hat-trick against Aston Villa on Monday night sealed United's 20th top-flight title.

Oxlade-Chamberlain, who signed for the Gunners from Southampton in 2011
and has 10 England caps, will also become a BT Ambassador for the next
three years.

The 19-year-old winger said: 'I am very pleased to be named as a BT
Ambassador and to feature in the adverts and as a guest for BT Sport.

'As a young player, I hope I can bring some real insight into the Premier League, as part of the BT Sport team.'

Simon Green, head of BT Sport, said: 'We are thrilled that Alex has
agreed to sign up for BT Sport. Alex is emerging as an international
star, having broken into the senior team aged just 18.

'His hard work and dedication to improvement has already taken him to
great heights and serves as an inspiration to young football fans that
if you are good enough, you are old enough.'

Regular guest: Arsenal youngster Oxlade-Chamberlain will be appearing on BT Sport next season

VIDEO: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain joins BT Sport

As well as the rights to show 38 live games a season from the Barclays
Premier League, including 18 of the top picks, BT Sport has also secured
the rights to live top-tier matches from Serie A in Italy, Ligue 1 in
France, Brasileiro in Brazil and Major League Soccer in the USA.

And BT’s acquisition of ESPN’s TV channels business in the UK and
Ireland will bring the rights to show live games for the FA Cup,
Scottish Premier League, Europa League and the German Bundesliga.

BT Sport will also show up to 69 live rugby union games a season from the Aviva Premiership.

In
addition, BT has signed a deal with the Women’s Tennis Association
(WTA) to show up to 800 hours of live tennis, including the TEB BNP
Paribas WTA Championships.

I'm in: Spurs winger Bale has already signed for BT Sport ahead of their Premier League coverage

BT have now lodged an official complaint with regulators Ofcom claiming that BSkyB have shown ‘undue discrimination’ against them by refusing to run the campaign of adverts.

John Petter, managing director of consumer for BT Retail, told the Guardian: ‘We are happy to take Sky’s advertising but they seem afraid of taking ours. It’s like a rottweiler running away from a newborn puppy.’

Host: BT will be home to some of the biggest games in the Premier League

BT spent 738million to take 38 top-flight games next season after the channel launches in July and will also air Premiership Rugby and European Rugby.

But a key part of their strategy of growth is to raise awareness of their new channel by advertising on Sky Sports channels.

The broadcast code states that 'a radio broadcaster must not unduly discriminate between advertisers that seek to have any commercial communication included in its licensed service.'

COMPLAINT FROM BT AGAINST SKY

Ofcom has opened an investigation following a complaint from BT against Sky under Ofcom’s Code on the Prevention of Undue Discrimination between Broadcast Advertisers (“the Code”). Rule 4.1 of the Code states:

'A television broadcaster must not unduly discriminate between advertisers that seek to have advertising included in its licensed service.'

Under section 319 of the Communications Act 2003 ('the Act'), Ofcom has a duty to set standards for the content of programmes to be included in television and radio services, in one or more codes.

Under section 319(2)(k) of the Act, one of the standards objectives Ofcom must secure through such codes is that 'there is no undue discrimination between advertisers who seek to have advertisements included in television and radio services'.

I almost died! Former Liverpool goalkeeper Doni reveals he suffered a heart attack last year

By
John Drayton

PUBLISHED:

20:51 GMT, 1 February 2013

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UPDATED:

21:12 GMT, 1 February 2013

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Doni shockingly revealed he suffered a heart attack in the summer which led to his long absence from football.

The 33-year-old Brazilian, whose last match for the Reds came on the final day of the 2011/12 season in May, has not featured in any squad since.

Liverpool, who refused to comment on
Doni's revelation, said it was for personal reasons but, after securing a
deadline-day move back to his homeland to join Botafogo, the goalkeeper
has explained the circumstances, which began while he was undergoing
medical tests at the club.

Revelation: Doni said he suffered a heart attack for 25 seconds

'I almost… I almost ended up on the other side. I had a heart attack for about 25 seconds,' the former Roma player told calciomercato.com in Italy.

'I've been to one of the best doctors in Europe who looked at me carefully. He's asked me to stop for a few months.

'Now I have to stay put until April, then I can return to the field, I want to play in the 2014 Paulista championship.'

Turkish delight for Drogba with former Chelsea striker set to sign for Galatasaray

By
John Drayton

PUBLISHED:

16:44 GMT, 27 January 2013

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UPDATED:

21:31 GMT, 27 January 2013

Didier Drogba has signed an 18-month contract at Galatasaray, according to reports in Turkey.

The former Chelsea striker is currently on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Ivory Coast but Eurosport and official Turkish League broadcaster LigTV are reporting that Drogba has found the time to agree a move to Turkey from Shanghai Shenhua.

He is expected to complete a 5million move to the Turkish side and will receive a signing on bonus of 3m.

Turkish delight: Didier Drogba is set to join Galatasaray on an 18-month contract

Drogba will also reportedly receive a bonus of 21,000 for each game he plays, up to a maximum of 425,000 a year, meaning he could earn 9.6m over the 18 months.

Eurosport Turkey reports that the 'agreement is not official yet but sources say it will be done in the next week.'

A spokesperson for the Sports PR Company said: 'They have made a formal bid for him.'

The 34-year-old has found it hard to
settle in China and with Shenhua's financial problems worsening they
have already offloaded Drogba's former Chelsea team-mate Nicolas Anelka
to Juventus this week.

Struggles: Drogba failed to settle in China with Shanghai Shenhua

AC Milan had been linked with a move
for Drogba but it appears he will be heading to Galatasaray to join
their recent 8.6million signing Wesley Sneijder.

Last month Drogba returned to train with his old club during the Chinese off-season in preparation for the African Nations Cup, in which he is currently competing in South Africa.

FIFA rejected a special request from the striker for him to join a club on loan outside the transfer window, amid speculation linking him with Juventus, AC Milan and Liverpool, among others.

Rugby fans to be taken up close and personal to the players with new television 'Refcam'

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UPDATED:

11:18 GMT, 19 December 2012

Rugby fans will be closer than ever to the hard-hitting action from this weekend with the introduction of a 'Refcam' which promises to revolutionise how the sport is broadcast.

Officials will have a three-inch square High Definition camera strapped to their chest with a Velcro harness to record the action unfolding in front of them.

Sky Sports directors will have access to the feed for television output, while the RFU will make use of footage for referee training.

New insight: Rugby fans will be able to see the action close up with a new 'Refcam' being trialled in a Championship match this weekend

The first referee to wear the 'Refcam' will be Matt Carley, who takes charge of the Championship match between Newcastle Falcons and London Scottish at Kingston Park on Sunday.

The camera should offer a unique perspective into the role of the officials and what happens on the field of play.

It also records audio for an additional insight into conversations and arguments between players in addition to the existing ref's microphone.

If Sunday's trial is successful, the 'Refcam' could become a staple of television coverage of rugby.

'You are looking right into everything,' said Ed Morrison, the RFU's head of elite referees. 'You see what the referee sees. It is a way we can measure ourselves in a more accurate way and at the same time offer more education. The potential is enormous.'

Scrutiny: Officials' decisions will be analysed making use of the video evidence

Sky made an approach to Morrison last month following a successful experiment by American broadcaster HBO at an Amir Khan bout.

A tiny camera was sewn into the referee's bow tie, delivering a high quality, close quarters feed of every blow.

Dutch linesman beaten to death after shocking attack during youth game

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UPDATED:

19:01 GMT, 3 December 2012

A Dutch linesman has died after being beaten and kicked by several footballers during a youth game.

Richard Nieuwenhuizen collapsed and was rushed to the hospital hours after players from Amsterdam club Nieuw Sloten punched and kicked him.

Nieuwenhuizen's club, Buitenboys, said the 41-year-old linesman died Monday evening but did not announce the exact cause of death.

Shock: A Dutch linesman was attacked by youths (stock image)

Three players, aged 15 and 16, were arrested earlier today for alleged involvement in the beating on Sunday in the town of Almere.

Dutch Sports Minister Edith Schippers told national broadcaster NOS even before the news of Nieuwenhuizen's death that 'it is absolutely terrible that something like this can happen on a Dutch sports field.'

Police spokeswoman Leonie Bosselaar said shortly before the linesman's death was announced that the players were still in custody and investigations were continuing. She added that police would not rule out arresting more suspects.

Nieuw Sloten said in a statement on its website it has banned the players involved and pulled their team out of the league.

The statement said such incidents 'do not belong on a football field.' Both clubs canceled all training scheduled for today.

Ajax manager Frank De Boer said: 'I'm not aggressive so cannot imagine how such a thing could happen. It makes you wonder about their education. This is too crazy.'

Austrian broadcaster ORF has apologised to Bayern Munich defender David Alaba after he complained of being racially insulted in a television comedy sketch.

The sketch was featured as part of the 'Welcome Austria' program broadcast last month, when one of the show's white hosts was painted black to represent Alaba, an Austrian national team and Bayern Munich player. Another host played Austro-Canadian billionaire Frank Stronach.

The presenter playing Stronach calls the Alaba character a 'black man,' saying, 'You probably live in a refugee camp.' He then holds up a banana and asks, 'What is this You probably know this, you've always seen them. It's a banana.'

Austrian daily newspaper Die Presse reported that Alaba's legal representative wrote to ORF general manager Alexander Wrabetz to complain after an initial request to withdraw the clip from the internet went unheeded.

'Nothing could be further from ORF's
intention than to racially abuse anyone,' ORF head of communications
Martin Biedermann said in a statement on Friday.

Alaba: Handed apology by TV channel

'The satire was clearly
misunderstood, and we apologise for it because what counts is what
people take from it, and not what's intended.'

ORF spokesman Markus Wibmer said that the show's presenters, Dirk Stermann and Christoph Grissemann, had apologised for causing offense.

'They are very fond of David Alaba and it was never their intention to insult him,' Wibmer said.

He said the skit was part of a series of satirical sketches in which Grissemann performs as Stronach, who is prominent in Austrian politics, in various situations each week.

'If it was taken as a personal attack by Mr. Alaba we are sorry for that, but that was not the sketch's intention,' Wibmer said.

Bayern spokesman Markus Hoerwick told Die Presse that such an incident 'wouldn't be possible in Germany' and that should be the case also in Austria.

'Racism is explicitly banned and shunned in European football and across all leagues, and then you have something like this,' Hoerwick said. 'I find it tasteless.'

Sofa wars: Editor of The Cricketer defends Test Match Sofa in row with BBC's Test Match SpecialWe're no parasites and no threat, Test Match Sofa hits back at BBCAndrew Miller left baffled by hostility from BeebTMS anchor Agnew responds by threatening never to read magazine againEngland T20 captain Broad supports Agnew in row

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UPDATED:

13:04 GMT, 1 November 2012

Test Match Sofa, the alternative cricket commentary which operates from central London not from Test venues, has this week been described as a 'parasite' that needs to be 'nailed' and 'swept offline'. Here ANDREW MILLER, the editor of The Cricketer magazine, who owns TestMatchSofa.com, hits back at those allegations…

Earlier this year, one of the oldest voices in cricket took a leap of faith and jumped into bed with one of the newest.

The Cricketer magazine, established in 1921 by Pelham Warner, saw in Test Match Sofa, an irreverent online cricket commentary service established in Tooting in 2009 by Daniel Norcross, a spark of innovative potential that it simply could not afford to pass up.

The tie-up was never going to be to everyone’s taste, but like two inter-joining circles on a Venn diagram, that was never really the point. In a print media market that seems to be shrinking as quickly as broadband speeds are rising, innovation is vital if you want to stay afloat.

England expects: Alastair Cook (second, left) takes evasive action from a shot by Ajinkya Rahane of India 'A' during the final day of England's first warm-up match

WHAT IS TEST MATCH SOFA

Test
Match Sofa is an online broadcaster providing cricket ball-by-ball commentary for
all England test matches and selected One Day Internationals.

The
station is available worldwide serving as alternative commentary to
the BBC's Test Match Special which is only available in the UK.

The station began broadcasting from
the Tooting Bec home of one of the station's creators, Daniel
Norcross, but moved to a rented house in Nunhead, also in South
London, in August 2010. In January 2011, Test Match Sofa moved to an
undisclosed location, believed to be somewhere in central London.

Listeners interact with the show's commentators through
Twitter, with this interaction often influencing the agenda.

Follow Test Match Sofa on Twitter @TestMatchSofa

The Cricketer saw in Test Match Sofa a
cult following of young, technologically savvy cricket fans – a
demographic that it might not have attracted by any other means. In
return the Sofa was offered shelter and status, and a chance for that
seed of a concept to germinate. At a stroke, each had doubled their
potential audience, and shored up the other’s foundations. It was, and
remains, a win-win scenario.

We
expected resistance to our venture, and it duly arrived – though not
from the quarters we had imagined. The ECB, recognising that we were not
breaching any rights, ceased correspondence on the subject back in May,
ahead of England’s Test series against West Indies. Test Match Special,
on the other hand, have taken the Sofa’s existence as a personal slight
– culminating in a declaration on Wednesday that it needed to be
'nailed' and 'swept offline'.

We're flattered by TMS’s attention, but baffled by their hostility. At what point in that magnificent programme's evolution did the promotion of cricket become a zero-sum game To complain, as they do, that Test Match Sofa is a 'parasite' that pays nothing for rights and gives nothing in return is a sad parody of the public access position the BBC once held dear.

After a summer in which rain, the Olympics and the Tour de France combined to squeeze cricket to the margins of public interest, surely the game needs as many people as possible to make as much noise on its behalf as is feasible. Anyone who believes otherwise might also argue against letting schoolkids enter for free on the fifth day of a Test.

The Sofa does not profess to fill the void by any means, but it provides a start. Through the use of Twitter (@testmatchsofa), every listener is offered a voice that, as often as not, will help dictate the narrative of the day’s play. In so doing, we aim to cement the enjoyment of a new breed of cricket listener – ones who, like those who will doubtless enter their blog comments below – want a conversation with their commentators, not a lecture.

Different audience: The Test Match Sofa crew pose up

Surely, if any BBC institution could still be relied upon to uphold the company's Reithian principles it should be TMS, the voice of cricket for more than half a century and, let's be frank about this, the very reason why Norcross and his colleagues were inspired to establish the Sofa in the first place.

Without exception, the Sofa team venerates TMS. Every one of the enthusiastic amateurs who give up their own time to watch cricket in a windowless studio do so because their youths were misspent with radios under their pillows and Wisdens in their stockings.

Window to the world: Members of the BBC Radio Test Match Special team in the commentary box at Lord's with the window cut out on the far right. Front row, from left, Henry Blofeld, Jonathan Agnew and scorer Bill Frindall. Back row from left, producer Peter Baxter, assistant producer Shilpa Patel, Vic Marks, Mike Selvey, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Colin Croft and Tony Cozier

… AND WHAT IS TEST MATCH SPECIAL

Test Match Special (known as TMS) provides ball-by-ball coverage of most Test cricket, One Day International, and Twenty20 matches and tournaments involving England.

It is, rightly, considered by most cricket lovers THE place to listen to coverage of England matches.

BBC Radio was the first broadcaster to cover every ball of a Test match.

TMS is broadcast on Radio 4 long wave (198 LW). At times of cricket matches, the normal BBC Radio 4 schedule continues on its FM frequencies, while longwave is taken over by the cricket. This has sparked controversy with some Radio 4 listeners unable to change frequencies. The shipping forecast is, however, retained. TMS can also be heard via the Internet.

TMS's coverage of England's tour to India had been under threat over fees demanded by the Indian board to broadcast from the grounds.

However, TMS producer Adam Mountford revealed on Twitter on Thursday that a deal had finally been reached.

'We are pleased to confirm that Test Match Special will broadcast England's cricket tour of India from the grounds,' he said.

Follow Adam Mountford on Twitter @tmsproducer

Jonathan Agnew and Christopher
Martin-Jenkins remain two of the greatest broadcasters of any
generation. But as a homogenized TMS leans more and more on ex-pros and
multi-sports specialists to fill the vacancies that crop up in the
course of time, one wonders where the next John Arlotts and Brian
Johnstons will appear to infuse cricket commentary with the whimsy and
digressions of old I’d suggest, right now, the Sofa is the likelier of
the breeding grounds.

And yet, TMS is still the undisputed master of the airwaves. Earlier this year, the question was put to me, rhetorically, what would happen if the BBC chose to stop broadcasting from the grounds and tried to do it off the telly On account of the India access row, we might be about to find out … and I think the answer has come as a greater surprise to the BBC.

Peter Baxter, the former TMS producer, understood the value of his product (and by extension the rights that the BBC pay) when in 1999, he demanded that a special window be cut in the middle of the enormous sheet of glass covering the front of the new Lord’s media centre. Quite rightly, he wanted to be able to dangle his effects mike into the crowd to provide total aural immersion to TMS’s legions of listeners.

That sense of being there is priceless – it’s the hum of contented silence that tells you you’ve twiddled your long-wave radio to the right frequency – and it’s something that the BCCI, rarely slow to spot a changing trend, have recognised.

Radio rights per se are irrelevant in the internet age. You can no sooner stop Test Match Sofa from commenting on the action than demand silence while fans watch it in the pub. The true value lies in being able to call it from the ground. Remarkably, it has taken the Sofa’s existence to remind TMS quite how important they are.

Andrew Miller is editor of The
Cricketer magazine, who own TestMatchSofa.com

AGGERS HITS BACK AND BROAD JOINS ARGUMENT

After reading the Cricketer on Thursday, Test Match Special presenter Jonathan Agnew tweeted: 'I've never read such hypocrisy & assumed knowledge as that spouted by the once great Cricketer magazine today. I won't be reading it again.'

England's Twenty20 captain and former Sportsmail columnist Stuart Broad also weighed in to the argument, saying: 'Don't read the media Aggers… What have I told you!! Can only bring negativity to your world!'

Test Match Special WILL cover England's tour to India after fee deadlock broken

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UPDATED:

13:30 GMT, 1 November 2012

Cricket lovers are breathing a sigh of relief after the BBC reached a deal with the Indian cricket board to broadcast Test Match Special coverage of England's tour to India.

The Beeb's iconic cricket commentary team had threatened to go silent over what they called 'unreasonable demands' being made by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to broadcast the series.

The BCCI was reportedly demanding the BBC an extra 50,000 to cover radio production costs at the four Tests in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Nagpur and Kolkata.

Voice of TMS: BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew (right)

The Corporation had stood firm over the demands, and TMS producer Adam Mountford revealed on Twitter: 'We are pleased to confirm that Test Match Special will broadcast England's cricket tour of India from the grounds.'

Sky were also asked for an additional 500,000 to install television studios at each ground but intend to use the voices of Sir Ian Botham, David Gower, Mike Atherton and Nasser Hussain, commentating in a west London studio, over pictures fed by Indian host broadcaster Star Sports.

TMS were reluctant to follow Sky's lead due to the similar service provided by Test Match Sofa website, which provides commentary from south west London based on a TV feed.

Iconic: The BBC's Test Match Special is revered by cricket lovers thanks to its brilliant commentary team and lunchtime guests, such as Lily Allen (below)

A row broke out on Thursday between current BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew, the TMS anchor, and Andrew Miller, editor of The Cricketer magazine, over the latter's defence of Test Match Sofa, which was published on MailOnline.

Agnew has threatened to boycott the magazine over Miller's article, and received support from England Twenty20 captain Stuart Broad on Twitter.

TMS has attracted a devoted following since it took to the airwaves in 1957, thanks to the likes of legendary broadcasters John Arlott, Brian Johnston and Agnew.

Among those joining Agnew on TMS's commentary team in India will be Henry Blofeld, Simon Mann, Prakash Wakankar, Geoffrey Boycott and Victor Marks.